Conventionally, in disk players of the type in which an optical disk signal is read, such as a CD player or DVD player, in order to perform continuous playing of a plurality of disks in a smooth fashion, a disk change device of a type in which a magazine that accommodates a plurality of disks is employed and disks are selectively extracted from within this magazine and played back continuously is employed.
When continuous playback of a plurality of disks is to be performed using such a magazine type disk change device, continuous playback in smooth fashion whilst automatically changing a plurality of disks in a short time can be achieved just by designating the next disk to be played back using input means such as a control button or just by programming beforehand the sequence of a plurality of disks that are to be played back. In this case, an excellent feeling in use can be obtained since such disk change does not require the performance of a manual operation and the time required for disk changing is greatly reduced compared with disk change involving a manual operation.
In some magazine type disk change devices as described above, in particular small sized disk change devices for in-vehicle use or the like, a magazine accommodating a plurality of disks in stacked fashion is arranged such that the surfaces of the disks are in the horizontal direction and is constructed such that the disk drive and disk feed section can be raised and lowered with respect to the magazine. In this case, the magazine is constructed such that a plurality of disk holders on which the disks are placed is accommodated therein in stacked fashion and such that each of the disk holders can be separately extracted. In a disk change device of this type, when disk changing is performed, specifically the following series of operations is performed.
First of all, a disk that has been played is released from the turntable and held in a corresponding disk holder (clamp-release action). This is followed by return of the disk held in the disk holder to its accommodated position in the magazine, by return of this disk holder into the magazine (unloading action).
After this, the disk drive and disk feed section are raised or lowered and located in position (raising/lowering action) in accordance with the height of the disk holder holding the next disk to be played back. Next, a disk is moved to a prescribed position on the turntable (loading action) by extracting this disk holder from the magazine. Next, when the disk has reached the prescribed position, it is held on the turntable and released from the disk holder (clamping action).
In order to prevent inconveniences such as the disk being damaged or becoming incapable of being fed due to separation from the disk holder it is necessary that the surface of the disk should be pressed against the disk holder during disk feeding or clamping as described above.
A pressing system using a plate spring provided on the loading chassis, which is the base member of the feed section, is therefore generally employed. This pressing system using a plate spring serves to press the surface of the disk on the opposite side against the disk holder by pressing the disk surface by means of the plate spring during disk feeding.
However, a disk change device of the conventional magazine type as described above is subject to the following problems.
First of all, with a disk change device in which a pressing system using a plate spring is adopted, there is a possibility of causing damage due to rubbing on the disk surface portion that contacts with the plate spring during disk feeding or clamping. Also, in addition to the fact that the load on the drive system is increased by the need to secure the increased drive force that is necessary for feeding because of the amount of friction produced between the plate spring and the disk surface, the load on the drive system is also increased due to the need to ensure mechanical strength sufficient to withstand this drive force etc.
To deal with this, consideration has been given to pressing the surface of the disk against the disk holder by providing a groove or the like for engaging the edge of the disk in the disk holder itself. However, if this is done, although disks having standard dimensions can be coped with, disks having non-standard dimensions cannot be coped with.
The present invention was proposed in order to solve the above problems of the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide a disk holding device of high operational reliability which is compact and uncomplicated whereby the surface of a disk can be pressed against a disk holder during disk feeding or clamping without causing damage to the disk surface and without increasing the load on the drive system and a wide range of disks having non-standard dimensions can be coped with.